Identification of lipopeptide antibiotics of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> isolate and their control of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium graminearum</Emphasis> diseases in maize and wheat

Substances produced by Bacillus subtilis D1/2, a bacterium isolated from cultivated soil, were found to inhibit Fusarium graminearum. The antifungal activity of the bacterium was attributable to major extracellular lipopeptides isolated and identified as fengycins. Their synthesis was enhanced by casamino acids added to the culture medium. The unpurified cell-free spent medium elicited hemolysis with increasing concentration. Its application to field-cultivated maize and chamber-grown wheat suppressed gibberella ear rot and Fusarium head blight, respectively, when the plants were inoculated with F. graminearum macroconidia. The treatment of maize ears consistently arrested ear-rot development, while the treatment of wheat spikes retarded the progress of Fusarium head blight. Although the deoxynivalenol and ergosterol contents of treated maize kernels were halved, they remained high because of the experimental requirement to inoculate with a high number (1.5 × 10⁴) of macroconidia. As a potential antifungal agent for controlling Fusarium diseases, B. subtilis D1/2 can be further developed as a useful component of integrated pest management. Handling Editor: Reijo Karjalainen.     

Forensic importance of jealousy

The aim of the investigation is to define as clearly as possible specific forensic psychiatric characteristics of persons who committed homicide and or attempted due to jealousy (the nature and severity of psychopathology, the level of responsibility, danger for the community, intensity and nature of aggression, the victimologic dimension, the relation of alcohol and jealousy). A retrospective method based on forensic psychiatric expertises in the period 1975-1999 was used. They encompassed 200 examinees that committed murder or attempted it. The results show the connection of psychotic jealousy with the highest degree of danger in diagnostic categories of paranoid psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia. The time span from the first manifestations of jealousy until the actual commitment of a crime is the longest in personality disorders and the shortest in schizophrenia. Exogenous provoking situations were dominant for committing homicide due to jealousy in personality disorders. Acute alcohol intoxication has a specific significance in crime due to jealousy in the same diagnostic category. Clear criteria were designed for forensic psychiatric evaluation of murder and attempts of homicide caused by jealousy, which will be of help in everyday practice in the field forensic work and treatment.     

Inverted sinonasal papilloma--a report of 31 cases and review of the literature

Inverted papilloma is an epithelial neoplasm of the lateral nasal wall and adjacent sinuses characterized by a marked propensity for recurrence and a significant association with carcinoma. In this retrospective study we present 31 cases treated by our departments between 1982 and 1999. The aim was to compare our results to those of other authors especially regarding surgical management. The male to female ratio of these patients was 2:1 and most patients were in the 6th and 7th decades of life. Conservative surgery was used in most cases as the initial treatment. The overall recurrence rate was low and there were 3 cases associated with carcinoma. We conclude that the results of conservative surgery in selected cases are comparable to those using radical methods. A review of the literature is presented and particular attention is dedicated to the literature concerning analysis of p53 expression, HPV and Epstein-Barr infection and apoptosis in inverted papilloma.     

Acculturation process and its effects on dietary habits, nutritional behavior and body-image in adolescents

Previous studies have indicated that the acculturation process may contribute to psychosocial and health problems among immigrants through the mediation of acculturation stress. This study focuses on adolescents with immigrant background permanently settled in the Croatian region of Dalmatia and the influences of the acculturation process on their dietary habits, nutritional behavior and perceived body-image. The survey was conducted on the total sample of 510 adolescents (aged 14-19) including 52 first generation and 248 second generation immigrants. The analysis included dietary habits and questions of restrictive diet as indicators of unhealthy influence on physical health. Psychological factors (stress and self-esteem) have been found to be associated with dietary habits, diet behavior and dissatisfaction with body-image among adolescents with significant differences by immigrant status. Immigrant status is viewed as a risk factor for psychological distress and unhealthy dieting behavior. Research stresses the need to study the interaction between acculturation and health not only from an individual perspective, but also from the broader socio-ecological context of population subgroups.     

Aminoethyl-substituted indole-3-acetic acids for the preparation of tagged and carrier-linked auxin

Indole-3-acetic acid is an indispensable hormone (auxin) in plants and an important metabolite in humans, animals, and microorganisms. Here we introduce its 5- and 6-(2-aminoethyl)-derivatives for use in the design of novel research tools, such as immobilized and carrier-linked forms of indole-3-acetic acid and its conjugates with biochemical tags or biocompatible molecular probes. The aliphatic nitrogens of 5- and 6-(2-aminoethyl)indole were acetylated and the products were converted to the corresponding 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl derivatives (gramines). These were reacted with cyanide. Saponification of the resulting acetonitriles was accompanied by N-deprotection to yield 5- and 6-(2-aminoethyl)indole-3-acetic acids. The latter were chemically stable and could be linked, via their amino groups, and without prior protection of their carboxyl moieties, to bovine serum albumin and to biotin, including appropriate spacer modules. One of the protein conjugates was used to elicit the formation of monoclonal antibodies, which were evaluated using the biotin conjugates in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing streptavidin-coupled alkaline phosphatase, and thus shown to recognize predominantly the indole-3-acetic acid moiety.     

Synthesis and evaluation of thiazole carboxamides as vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) antagonists

A thiazole derivative, 2-(2,6-dichlorobenzyl)-N-(4-isopropylphenyl) thiazole-4-carboxamide (1), was identified as a TRPV1 antagonist. We synthesized various thiazole analogs and evaluated them for their ability to block capsaicin- or acid-induced calcium influx in TRPV1-expressing CHO cells. The IC(50) values of the most potent antagonists were ca. 0.050microM in these assays.     

Nuclear phospholipase C-beta1b activation during G2/M and late G1 phase in nocodazole-synchronized HL-60 cells

In this study, the activity of nuclear phosphatidylinositol-specific phosholipase C (PI-PLC) was investigated in HL-60 cells blocked at G(2)/M phase by the addition of nocodazole, and released into medium as synchronously progressing cells. Two peaks of an increase in the nuclear PI-PLC activities were detected; an early peak reached a maximum at 1 h after release from the nocodazole block, and a second increase was detected at 8.5 h after the release. Immunoprecipitation studies indicated that the increase in the activity was due to the activation of the nuclear PI-PLC-beta(1). Western blot analysis demonstrated no changes in the level of both a and b splicing variants of PI-PLC-beta(1) in the nuclei of cells isolated at either 1 h or 8.5 h after the block. However, an increase in the serine-phosphorylation of PI-PLC-beta(1b) was detected in the nuclei of HL-60 cells isolated at 1 and 8.5 h after the block, and the presence of MEK-inhibitor PD98059 completely inhibited both the serine phosphorylation and the increase in the PI-PLC activities in vitro. The presence of PI-PLC inhibitor prevented the progression of HL-60 cells through the G(1) into S phase of the cell cycle. These results demonstrate that two peaks of nuclear PI-PLC activities, which are due to a PD98059-sensitive phosphorylation of nuclear PLC-beta(1b) on serine, occur at the G(2)/M and late G(1) phase and are necessary for the progression of the cells through the cell cycle.     

Enhanced tumor responses to dendritic cells in the absence of CD8-positive cells

Wild-type mice immunized with MART-1 melanoma Ag-engineered dendritic cells (DC) generate strong Ag-specific immunity that has an absolute requirement for both CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells. DC administration to CD8 alpha knockout mice displayed unexpectedly enhanced levels of protection to tumor challenge despite this deficiency in CD8(+) T cells and the inability to mount MHC class I-restricted immune responses. This model has the following features: 1) antitumor protection is Ag independent; 2) had an absolute requirement for CD4(+) and NK1.1(+) cells; 3) CD4(+) splenocytes are responsible for cytokine production; 4) lytic cells in microcytotoxicity assays express NK, but lack T cell markers (NK1.1(+) alpha beta TCR(-) CD3(-)); and 5) the lytic phenotype can be transferred to naive CD8 alpha knockout mice by NK1.1(+) splenocytes. Elucidation of the signaling events that activate these effective cytotoxic cells and the putative suppressive mechanisms in a wild-type environment may provide means to enhance the clinical activity of DC-based approaches.     

Salinity-induced ion flux patterns from the excised roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis sos</Emphasis> mutants

The SOS signal-transduction pathway is known to be important for ion homeostasis and salt tolerance in plants. However, there is a lack of in planta electrophysiological data about how the changes in signalling and ion transport activity are integrated at the cellular and tissue level. In this study, using the non-invasive ion flux MIFE technique, we compared net K⁺, H⁺ and Na⁺ fluxes from elongation and mature root zones of Arabidopsis wild type Columbia and sos mutants. Our results can be summarised as follows: (1) SOS mutations affect the function of the entire root, not just the root apex; (2) SOS signalling pathway is highly branched; (3) Na⁺ effects on SOS1 may by-pass the SOS2/SOS3 complex in the root apex; (4) SOS mutation affects H⁺ transport even in the absence of salt stress; (5) SOS1 mutation affects intracellular K⁺ homeostasis with a plasma membrane depolarisation-activated outward-rectifying K⁺ channel being a likely target; (6) H⁺ pump also may be a target of SOS signalling. We provide an improved model of SOS signalling and discuss physiological mechanisms underlying salt stress perception and signalling in plants. Our work shows that in planta studies are essential for understanding the functional genomics of plant salt tolerance.     

Assessment of the Bioaccessibility of Trace Elements in Cat’s Claw Teas by In Vitro Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion Using FAAS

Beer is a widely consumed drink throughout the world, and because its manufacture involves the use of water, beer can be, in some cases, a source of fluorides. For this reason, the objective of this study was to determine the concentration of fluorides in 50 samples of beers from different sources sold in two different types of container (aluminum can and glass bottle). The possible significant differences between the different types of packaging and the intake of fluoride from the consumption of these beers were evaluated. The concentration of fluoride in beers has been determined using the potentiometric method of fluoride determination by standard addition. The concentration of fluoride ranged between 0.06 and 1.77 mg/L. In general, the concentration was below 1 mg/L, except for three beer samples from Ireland and the USA, whose concentration was over 1.5 mg/L. No significant differences were found between the types of packaging. The contribution of fluoride to the diet from beer consumption is not high (<27%); however, it is necessary to warn consumers whenever they are in areas of high concentrations of fluoride in the water supply.